hoisting 26s

[Bob M]

Is it advisable (or even possible) to hoist a 26S, completely unloaded and lightened, by it's chainplates. I would lift at all (port, starboard, bow and stern) equally and simultaneously and I know that the rafters in the barn will take the strain, only concerned about the hull.

[Wayne nicol]

i dunno- but i might be scared of doing that. i would rather use two lifting straps and spreader bars, and then have another two set up, so as to move the position without putting it down- for bottom painting etc

[Russ]

No, don't do this. They are not meant for this purpose and will cause stresses on the hull where it wasn't designed. Also, you do not want to pinch the hull together.

For example, THIS is not the way to do it. The straps will crush the hull inward.


The boat should be supported from the hull as this



Here's more on it
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 11&t=10600

[Wayne nicol]

yup, gotta use them spreader bars, or you will crush the boat, as Russ said

[Steve K]

Crush
These boats are tougher than one might think. My 26X was T-boned by a 70 foot houseboat. Damage Yea, a black mark on the hull from his rub rail. A little polish and re-waxing is all it took to repair.

I lifted my 26X by the port and starboard chainplates a couple of times. Had no problems. The boat was completely empty, but I did leave the outboard on. The 26X weighs about 2300 pounds, if memory serves.

I've lifted my 26D, but did not use the chainplates. They are too far forward for a port/starboard lift. Instead I used a strap around the hull, at about just aft of the rear windows. This is the fore and aft balance point. The 26D weighs about 1600 pounds empty.

Here's a link with some pics. You'll notice also a boat that is completely up-side-down. That's my Catalina 22 (around 1800 pounds, with keel removed)

https://app.box.com/s/1570f72f9af4c1a1fbbb

By the way, you can also careen (pull them over on one side) these boats using the mast. I tie to the mast at the spreaders and tie the other end of the rope to my trailer hitch and just pull them over. Or with the 26D, I tied a rope to the port, aft stanchion base and to my trailer hitch, with my pickup on the starboard side and just drive forward until the boat is up on it's side. Sure makes it easy to work on the bottom. Do this only on soft soil on a big piece of old carpet, for best results. Hard ground, particularly with rocks in it will crack the gel coat.

Crush indeed

I now have an electric hoist on my gantry, so it's push button lifting now

Best Breezes,
Steve K.

[Wayne nicol]

thats cool.
allow me to rephrase that ,
if i were lifting my boat i would most certainly use spreader bars, as i surely would not want to take any chances with damaging my hard eared dollars
lesson taken from the pro's- them fellas who lift lotsa boats!
i would feel a bit aprehensive dragging my boat around the yard by the mast

but thats just me- anybody else can lift their own boat anyway they wanna i guess!!!

[grady]

Spreader bars will not be needed if you are using the rafters. You will just need to have the straps for lifting spread out.

Here is what I did when I rebuilt the center board and trunk, and repainted the bottom. I built a cradle out of 2x4's for the aft then lifted the front with the strap and pulled the trailer out. The left the trailer and jackstand under it like that for a safety. I have no desire to be crushed by a boat.

[Steve K]

lesson taken from the pro's- them fellas who lift lotsa boats!

Yea, I get it. I was one of those pros (before retirement)........ not so much boats, but heavy equipment, portable classrooms, heavy duty refrigeration units, stadium scoreboards(big ones) you name it

i would feel a bit aprehensive dragging my boat around the yard by the mast

Not "dragging" around anything....... just rolling her over gently, done carefully and with finesse........ and she likes it.

SK

[seahouse]

Here's a link to another related thread...

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... ar#p279770

[Steve K]

Hey grady,
That looks like the same strap I use. Those are tough.
SK

[seahouse]

Ditto on that strap Steve. I use a similar one for a hold-down on the trailer. Good mechanical advantage on the ratchet (you can crush things if you like), and WAY stronger than it needs to be. Just the way I like it!

[Steve K]

Ditto on that strap Steve. I use a similar one for a hold-down on the trailer. Good mechanical advantage on the ratchet (you can crush things if you like), and WAY stronger than it needs to be. Just the way I like it!

RE: (you can crush things if you like) Yea, you can ratchet that sucker down until you hear fiberglass cracking

I took the short leader with hook off the ratchet on one and it now is mounted on one side of my trailer, at the rear. Shortened that strap to fit around the boat and hook to the other side of the trailer. Makes a great tie down strap for the boat....... except, it does vibrate from the wind @ freeway speeds. It will wear the gel coat off the sides of the boat. So haven't used it after having to compound out the marks it made on the hull. Need some kind of padding, where it contacts the hull.

But hey, that 10,000 pound rated strap should lift a couple 1600 pound boats and then some I used the same strap to lift a 6,000 pound safe out of a scrap metal bin, so I know it will lift that much and still ask for more. Long story, but condensed..... the new kid was told to get rid of all the scrap metal in the warehouse. He thought the old safe was just that. It held all the off site backups from our IT department and it was also worth a lot more than scrap.

BB,
SK

[seahouse]

I don't go on the highway much, but I use the top sections of heavy old wool socks for cushions.

Feed the pieces through the strap, and after the ratchets are tight I slide the sock section over top of the mechanism. Or along the strap to where it contacts the hull or any other potential wear point. Putting a half-twist in the strap will prevent it from whipping in the wind (I do that in the section that goes across the cockpit) but in the short sections down the sides that is not always practical, especially on the side where the ratchet is located*.

* The ratchet should go on the right side of the boat. Then it's on the side of the shoulder of the road, if you want to stop and check it with the highest level of safety. Sorry for the slight digression.

- B.

[Steve K]

seahouse,

Excellent tips

The old socks are a great idea(hopefully laundered first ) Bet there is some kind of air quality law here in CA covering it I was thinking about a pool noodle maybe, if the strap could be worked through the hole in it

Mounting the ratchet on the shoulder side of the road...... also good idea. Got all that stuff on that side on my trailer, including spare tire. Don't get why Macgregor put the trailer jack crank on the other side though (maybe to give room for a spare tire mount on the shoulder side?)

Best Breezes,
Steve K.